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What is discrimination?

Discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of a person or a group of people, usually based on aspects of the person or the group such as age, gender, race, religion, or background. Sometimes discrimination involves a person or group having an unfair advantage, while other times it involves having an unfair disadvantage. Discrimination isn’t based on the real skills or qualities of a person – it uses “outside” traits of people, such as what they look like or where they come from, as the reason for giving people different treatment.

Can you think of some reasons why it’s wrong to discriminate? Not only is it important to have tolerance and be respectful of others’ differences, but discrimination can mean that certain people are not allowed the freedoms or opportunities that other people have. Discrimination can also mean the opposite: that some people are allowed certain freedoms and opportunities that others are denied.

It’s important to treat everyone equally and fairly. If you see discrimination happening, try to stand up against it, and talk to a grown-up about what happened and how it made you feel. Remember to always respect others and show them dignity!

Exploration

Can you think of some examples of discrimination? For example, it would be discrimination to say that certain people aren’t allowed to attend school, live, or work in some places. It would also be discrimination to deny a certain person or group the right to vote. Even just simply calling someone names or making them feel bad can be forms of discrimination.

Have you ever encountered discrimination? If so, how did it make you feel? Why was it wrong for you to be treated that way? Talk with a grown-up about some of the reasons why you think discrimination exists, and ways that you can handle it if it happens.